![](\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgOTpEO_V-mzqKs2zKU4uz_yRm_PXyQl5PsctmANvSA_erWNq-vo4KpL8U_vAmQJYmKRSt4LNnQb_QmpwGuisB1N2aICd72MNODOpvo7gUuvF8uWoaJwpFTJUCA4nMDjRVP6wzP0fvkA9fFz32Xxfs3F-6pi3RG2z1yw2LcGQOYX1LOoxpBXNH7mJNlRdc\/s533\/Kevin%20Broughton.JPG\")
<\/a><\/div>\n\n
I\u2019m Kevin Broughton and I look after
\n\u2018Stores and Spares\u2019 at the Carriage and Wagon (C&W)
\nDepartment at the railway. I\u2019ve written this article for the C&W
\nBlog which I hope provides an insight into the work I do and which
\nmay be of interest to our readers, members and volunteers.<\/p>\n
I started volunteering at C&W in
\nApril 2015 \u2013 I was previously a volunteer at the Electric Railway
\nMuseum (ERM) in Baginton, Coventry, for a few years. Following the
\nrealisation that the ERM site was closing due to redevelopment of the
\narea, I looked elsewhere for \u2018choo choo\u2019 volunteering
\nopportunities and found the GWSR. At the ERM, I pretty much worked on
\ncoaches as most of them were Electric Multiple Units (EMUs), so
\nGWSR\u2019s C&W Department made sense to apply to.<\/p>\n
At that time, C&W had quite an
\n\u2018open\u2019 approach to volunteers regarding their skills, though
\nthese days we are quite discerning about what skills we need from
\nvolunteers. For me, it was fortunate that the volunteering policy was
\n\u2018open\u2019 as I had zero engineering skills or even much DIY
\nexperience \u2013 I work full time, mainly at a desk, as a researcher at
\nCoventry University. So I don\u2019t have the history of practical
\nskills that other volunteers have. But I\u2019ve always been interested
\nin old trains and heritage.<\/p>\n
When I first started at C&W, for a
\ncouple of years I helped others with lots of things, but it took a
\nwhile to find my \u2018niche\u2019. This happened when I went to help the
\nlate Peter Bennett get a spare passenger door from one of our various
\n\u2018storage wagons\u2019 in our Winchcombe sidings. On entering the
\n\u2018Elephant Van\u2019 (a huge \u2018covered\u2019 wagon) I noticed that \u2013
\nbeing diplomatic \u2013 the spares in these wagons were, ahem, somewhat
\ndisorganised. And I like making things tidy! So a new role was born
\nfor me \u2013 stores and spares. Over time, this expanded to broader
\n\u2018housekeeping\u2019, caretaking or even Facilities Management \u2013 i.e.
\norganising the various storage areas in the Works too.<\/p>\n
Over time, in my niche role, I have
\ntried to develop a \u2018stores and spares strategy\u2019 so that I wasn\u2019t
\njust bumbling around in the dark (though this appears to be part of
\nmy role too). So below I outline my own stores and spares strategy
\nand what each element involves. I can\u2019t attest to how successful
\nthis strategy has been \u2013 you\u2019d have to ask my volunteer
\ncolleagues. But I haven\u2019t been sacked, so I assume people are happy
\nto let me get on with it.<\/p>\n
It should be noted (again) that \u2013
\nwhilst I have had appropriate safety training \u2013 I have no formal
\nexperience in storage, carriage spares, engineering equipment or
\nfacilities management. So I\u2019m very happy for people to make
\nsuggestions on improving my learning further. Please note \u2013 If you
\ndon\u2019t like \u2018detail\u2019, do not continue! If you are<\/i> scarily
\nnerdy (like me) \u2013 read on and enjoy.<\/p>\n
====<\/p>\n
THE STRATEGY<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n
So what was my first \u2018task\u2019 in my
\nnew \u2018Stores and Spares\u2019 role? Well, after being shown the rather
\ndisorganised storage wagons, a lot of the spares and equipment we
\nused had (historically) just been \u2018put\u2019 in these wagons, as
\nvolunteers had to prioritise operational refurbishment and
\nrestorations. And in the \u2018old days\u2019 of salvaging spares from
\ncoaches being scrapped, volunteers had horrendously tiring and long
\ndays involving taking everything they could off a coach in a
\nscrapyard in the middle of nowhere, then driving it all back to the
\nWorks and putting it in a wagon at Winchcombe. By that stage they
\njust wanted to go home! There was little time for follow up
\norganisation of all this stuff \u2013 keeping the coaches in operation
\ncomes first, so the wagons remained quite disorganised.<\/p>\n
\n
STRATEGY TASK 1 \u2013 TAKING STOCK
\nFOR AN OVERVIEW<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n
So the first task needed was to get an
\n\u2018overview\u2019 of what we had, in general, and where it was across
\nall the storage wagons in Winchcombe sidings. When I say \u2018in
\ngeneral\u2019 I mean things like \u2018door stuff, window stuff, table
\nstuff, electrical, plumbing, toilet ceramics stuff, seats stuff, wood
\ntrim, metal trim\u2019 etc. Note that, in some cases, the \u2018nature of
\nthe material\u2019 was at least one potential way of sorting items \u2013
\nceramic, wood, metal, textiles, etc. Another potential way of
\norganising it was by the \u2018skill\u2019 of the item involved \u2013
\nelectrical, plumbing, woodwork, metalwork etc. So, a number of years
\nago Peter Holt (C&W Maintenance \u2013 who also wanted to know what
\nspares we had) and I went around and made a rough record of the
\n\u2018type\u2019 of items we had in each storage wagon. So the first task
\nin the strategy was \u2018taking stock for an overview\u2019<\/b>.
\n\u2018Taking stock\u2019 suggests we counted everything \u2013 but we didn\u2019t
\nhave a spare decade, so we didn\u2019t do that \u2013 just a rough
\nguestimate of what we had around the site, e.g. most wood stuff is in
\nwagon X, most seats are in wagons Y and Z, etc. <\/p>\n
\n
<\/a><\/div>\n Taking stock: \u201cWhere
\nto start?!\u201d (\u2018before\u2019)<\/b><\/p>\n
\n
<\/a><\/div>\n That\u2019s better!
\n(\u2018after\u2019)<\/b><\/p>\n
\n
STRATEGY TASK 2 \u2013 ON-GOING
\nCOMMUNICATION<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n
A short while after that, even though
\nthings were not sorted out, I developed a \u2018Spares Location Summary
\nList\u2019 which provided information on where \u2018most\u2019 items appeared
\nto be based. This was just a one-page table listing generic items
\n(doors, windows, wood trim etc) and the specific wagon(s) that \u2018most\u2019
\nof that item were in. Apparently my volunteer colleagues found this
\nrather useful (Dave Clark was ecstatic and laminated it for
\nposterity). Ever since, this list has been updated and placed on our
\nC&W notice board for people to refer to, although reminders that
\nthe List exists are regularly required. So things were going in the
\nright direction.<\/p>\n
Regarding \u2018on-going communication\u2019,
\na \u2018constant\u2019 for my role is the two most important tools in my
\narmoury\u2026<\/p>\n
\n\n<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/div>\n<\/p>\nBest tools ever!<\/b><\/p>\n
\n
Not the most complex of equipment, I\u2019m
\nsure you\u2019ll agree. But one of the biggest time-wasters in C&W
\n(apart from me) is \u201cnot knowing where stuff is\u201d. People can spend
\nhours looking for stuff because we have so many items and a lot of
\nplaces in which they might<\/i> be stored. So a key thing I wanted
\nto improve was to \u201chelp people to know where stuff is\u201d. A good
\nfew years ago, we did not necessarily have \u2018collective knowledge\u2019
\nof where certain things were kept \u2013 \u201cask XXXX\u201d was the usual
\nanswer \u2013 and if that person is not in that day?! Well, you\u2019re in
\ntrouble! So, in addition to the \u2018Location of Spares Summary List\u2019,
\nthe most obvious thing was to put \u2018labels\u2019 on the various boxes
\nand shelves around our Works and in our storage wagons, using a
\nbit of masking tape and a sharpie<\/i>. <\/p>\n
I have yet to find a better alternative
\nto these two \u2018tools\u2019 \u2013 I know there are very snazzy label
\nprinters but these usually produce quite small font and none of us
\nare getting any younger when it comes to our eyesight. Large label
\nprinters are a possibility still being considered, but they are not
\ncheap and it takes a while to faff about typing stuff in and
\nconnecting to a computer\/printer. But it only takes seconds to
\nscribble on a bit of masking tape with a sharpie in big clear capital
\nletters. And if things need to be moved around (and they do), just
\npull the masking tape off and do a new label \u2013 easy peasy. Printed
\nlabels are usually laminated so they don\u2019t get smudged with oily
\nfingerprints \u2013 which is helpful. My solution is to put some wide
\nSellotape over the masking tape. Whilst all of this doesn\u2019t look
\n\u2018100% professional\u2019, it does the job. So these two \u2018tools\u2019
\nremain the most important in my \u2018everyday\u2019 shenanigans at C&W.<\/p>\n
One thing I should mention \u2013 the
\nquestion about finding something is no longer \u201cAsk XXXXX\u201d, its
\nusually \u201cAsk Kevin\u201d. For our C&W colleagues \u2013 if I am not
\naround I suggest that people look at my \u2018Spares Location Summary
\nList\u2019 on the Notice Board to the left of the signing-on area in the
\nentrance lobby. I am on email if anyone needs me when I\u2019m not in
\nthe Works \u2013 my email address is also on the \u2018Spares Location
\nSummary List\u2019.\n<\/p>\n
So \u2018on-going communication\u2019 is an
\nimportant part of the strategy.<\/p>\n
\n
STRATEGY TASK 3 \u2013 IMPROVING
\nACCESS AND LIGHT<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n
The third task in my strategy was
\n\u201cactually being able to get to<\/i> the bloody stuff\u201d that is
\nstored in the wagons \u2013 i.e. \u2018access\u2019! A few years ago, things
\nwere piled up on top of each other, and it took hours to get to the
\npart that was (inevitably) at the bottom of the pile. So a lot of
\nwork was done just to organise things in a way that people could just
\n\u2018get to it\u2019 easily. So I spent many a Saturday moving everything
\nto the sides and ends of wagons, creating clear pathways to get to
\neach area and item. This was not an easy task \u2013 Arnold
\nSchwarzenegger I am not \u2013 but we got there in the end. For those in
\nthe know, I never want to move a \u2018metal-framed first-class
\ncompartment seat back\u2019 ever again.<\/p>\n
\n\n<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/div>\n<\/p>\nAccess: \u201cIt\u2019s just
\nunder that pile, right at the very bottom\u201d (\u2018before\u2019) <\/b><\/p>\n
\n
<\/a><\/div>\n Access: \u201cwell that\u2019s
\na bit better\u201d (\u2018after\u2019) <\/b>\n<\/p>\n
\n
Another issue, particularly where
\nstorage wagons have no electrical supply (i.e. almost all) is the
\nlack of light. What would we do without our mobile phone torch app?
\nSo I always try to store things in ways that don\u2019t block the
\nwagons\u2019 windows (if they have them) \u2013 not easy to do when
\nstacking lots of large doors. But that bit of extra light really
\nhelps, especially on grey winter days. Even just cleaning the windows
\ncan make a lot of difference. Shelving and racking should also be
\nlight or even white in colour \u2013 yes it shows the dust and rust, but
\nit reflects the light and when you\u2019re trying to look for a tiny
\npart in the depths of winter in a little box full of bits, every
\nlittle helps. Where an electrical supply is available, LED strip
\nlights offer a very bright light for a fraction of the usual energy
\nuse (e.g. those now installed in our \u2018Container 1\u2019).<\/p>\n
\n
<\/a><\/div>\n MAXIMISE THE LIGHT: Grey
\nwinter days are not ideal for searching storage wagons.<\/b><\/p>\n
\n
STRATEGY TASK 4 \u2013 CONSOLIDATION<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n
What I also realised in my early
\nendeavours was that the same kind of items could be found in about 5
\ndifferent wagons, all dotted around the sidings. Ask any volunteer at
\nC&W how much they \u2018walk about\u2019 and they\u2019ll tell you that
\nthey certainly get their steps in for the day. We constantly fetched
\nstuff from here and there around the sidings and the Works, only to
\nfind it\u2019s the wrong part and then we\u2019d have to traipse out again
\nto find the right part. So anything that can be done to reduce that
\nwasted time and effort helps a lot. Obviously it makes more sense to
\nput all the same or similar parts in one place. So we needed to work
\nout the best location for consolidating all \u2018similar\u2019 items in
\none wagon. When we started the consolidation process, being practical
\nbecause of the amount of moving work involved, it was a case of
\nseeing where the majority of that item was already<\/i>, and then
\nworking out if \u2018it would do for now\u2019 to bring all of the other
\nsimilar items to join the critical mass. Also, as mentioned, the
\nnature of the material and the nature of the skills involved also
\nhelped to determine where items ought to be consolidated. So items
\nmade of wood ideally should be in one wagon, and items made of metal
\nin another, electrical, gas and plumbing supplies in one wagon, all
\nseats ideally in a couple of wagons, and so on. So the fourth task in
\nthe strategy was \u2018consolidation\u2019<\/b> of spares in a way that
\nmade sense for their use for our volunteers.<\/p>\n
\n
<\/a><\/div>\n<\/p>\n\none here, another in t\u2019other van, one in t\u2019other sidings\u2026\u201d
\n(\u2018before\u2019)<\/b><\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/a><\/div>\n<\/p>\nConsolidation: \u201cWhatever
\nwe have of that is in here\u201d. (\u2018after\u2019)<\/b><\/p>\n
\n
Some of you may be wondering why I am
\n\u2018making a mountain out of a molehill\u2019 with this \u2018storage
\nstrategy\u2019. Why not just get lots of shipping containers and
\nboltless shelving, sort it out, and that would be the end of it?
\nWell, first, we are not made of money and shipping containers are not
\ncheap. Second, the Winchcombe site does not have endless acreage and
\nit already has many sidings, functions, buildings, car parking etc,
\nso space is actually at a premium. Third, the size, weight and shape
\nof some spares makes it very challenging to store these efficiently.
\nAnd the stock we have (think a lot of timber) changes constantly as
\nnew projects require different stuff \u2013 meanwhile a surplus of
\nunused and older stuff builds up and takes up more space (but we
\ndon\u2019t want to get rid of it because \u201cit will come in handy one
\nday\u201d \u2013 which it often does, though at times things verge on
\nhoarding!). This requires on-going management \u2013 spares storage is
\nan eternally moving feast that can be challenging to manage as it
\nebbs and flows. This brings us to disposals and swaps.<\/p>\n
\n
STRATEGY TASK 5 \u2013 PARTS
\nMANAGEMENT THROUGH DISPOSALS AND SWAPS<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n
I\u2019m sure many people who work on
\npreserved railways use the old phrase \u201cwe\u2019ve got 10 of everything
\nexcept the part you need\u201d. We are no exception \u2013 we have a lot of
\nstuff that we only need a few of, and not many of things that we need
\nquite a lot of. And what once was a common part now seems to be made
\nof \u2018unobtainium\u2019. We can, and do, make our own stuff, but being
\nable to swap parts with other heritage railways is vital and can save
\na lot of money and effort. Sometimes we also have donations of items
\nfrom other various organisations or individuals which are a real boon
\nand can save us a fortune. Disposals through sales also injects some
\nmuch-needed cash into the coffers for something that was simply
\nsitting idle in our wagons and taking up much needed storage space.
\nUtilising people\u2019s existing networks and online forums is vital to
\ndo this kind of work. But it\u2019s not easy \u2013 how much are things
\nworth (nobody sells these things anymore)? Is item X worth bartering
\nfor 10 of item Y? Does everything work? Does it need tons of work to
\nget it working? All these things have to be considered before
\ncommitting to swapping, buying or disposing of spare parts.
\nAdditionally, sometimes stuff just needs to be recycled or thrown
\naway \u2013 broken parts, corroded metal and rotten woods are simply too
\nfar gone and its nigh on impossible to get a second-hand piece of
\nwood trim to fit in another coach \u2013 that\u2019s the BR Mk1 \u2018standard\u2019
\ncoach for you.<\/p>\n
The above story represents the last 5
\nor so years of my \u2018strategy\u2019 and how it has panned out. So we
\nhave reached \u2018where we are at\u2019 currently (September 2023), but I
\nalso have ideas for the future.<\/p>\n
\n
NEXT STEPS?<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n
There are still a number of steps
\nbefore C&W reaches \u2018stores and spares nirvana\u2019\u2026\n<\/p>\n
\n
STRATEGY TASK 6 – AUDIT\/TALLY BY TYPE AND QUALITY<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n
Most of our spares are now consolidated
\nin one place, and we know what we have got \u2018a lot\u2019 of and \u2018not
\nmany of\u2019, but tallying up or auditing exact numbers of thousands of
\nspare parts is going to be a rather arduous, if necessary, task.
\nObviously we have evidentiary record systems in place for safety
\ncritical items such as passenger door locks\/latches and vacuum
\ncylinders etc. But in terms of non-safety-critical stuff, we know
\nwhere it is, but we don\u2019t know exactly how many we have, or what
\n\u2018type\u2019 they are (there are so many \u2018types\u2019 of the same item \u2013
\nas I said, it is the BR Mk1 \u2018standard\u2019 coach). And then we have
\nto assess the quality of the items \u2013 in many cases there are \u201ca
\ncouple of spares remaining\u201d \u2013 why are they remaining? Because
\nthey are knackered but we dare not get rid of them \u2013 so quality
\nassessment is important too. So there is much to do here but we have
\nto start somewhere \u2013 probably the stuff that we need reasonably
\nfrequently. Managing this also relates to swaps and disposals above.<\/p>\n
STRATEGY TASK 7 – BETTER STORAGE FACILITIES<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
Storage wagons are not the best place
\nto store spare parts. And they are definitely not the best place to
\nstore really heavy or cumbersome parts. In an ideal C&W world,
\nanything that is heavy, cumbersome and frankly a pain in the **** to
\nmove needs to be stored as close to the Works as possible and needs
\nto have step-free access. We do have some shipping containers next to
\nthe Works for a variety of purposes. For example, one container
\nstores \u2018operational\u2019 items ready to go when things happen with
\nour working coaches. But, as mentioned, we have limited finances and
\nlimited space at the Winchcombe site. Also, we rarely need to access
\n(e.g.) coach doors on a regular basis, so most of the time they just
\nwait there \u2013 not necessarily a good use of convenient storage space
\nwhen this is at a premium. It is these kinds of quandaries that we
\nhave to deal with in terms of the site, the facilities and the
\nresources that we have. It\u2019s not a blank slate and we have to work
\nwith what already exists and adapt as best we can within such
\nconstraints.<\/p>\n
STRATEGY TASK 8 – ELECTRONIC ‘REAL TIME’ STOCK MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
We haven\u2019t got a \u2018comprehensive
\nstock management\u2019 system in place for non-safety-critical spares.
\nIf someone takes a spare part from a storage wagon, then it just gets
\ntaken and used. We are yet to introduce a system for
\nnon-safety-critical parts whereby we know what has been used, by
\nwhom, when, where and why. This is not an easy task and would require
\nreal time electronic systems and capacity well beyond our current
\nfinancial situation. But in a perfect world we would have that kind
\nof logistical system in future \u2013 we\u2019re talking serious barcodes.<\/p>\n
Well, that brings us to the end of my
\n\u2018Stores and Spares Strategy\u2019. There is a way to go, but only a
\nfew years ago we were at Strategy Task 1, and now we\u2019re at Strategy
\nTask 5 \u2013 so progress is being made.<\/p>\n
As part of this long-term strategy,
\nI\u2019ve had about 5 years\u2019 experience of organising and managing
\nstores, spares and helping to organise the Works\u2019 storage
\nfacilities. Those years have taught me many a lesson (often
\nhard-earned, involving \u2018those\u2019 kind of days). So below are some
\n\u2018lessons, hints and tips\u2019 for all of you budding \u2018Facilities
\nManagement\u2019 nerds. These are quite \u2018detailed\u2019 (for some,
\nprobably too detailed!), but this is the kind of thing that I am into
\n(amazingly, I am married). Hopefully these suggestions might help
\nothers wishing to get their own facilities more organised.<\/p>\n
\n
LESSONS, HINTS AND TIPS ON
\nFACILITIES (MICRO) MANAGEMENT<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n
Where to put stuff \u2013 think about
\nwhat stuff is used the most (and used the least)<\/b><\/p>\n
We are all guilty of the situation
\nwhere certain tools or spare items have been there for years and
\nnever get moved, just because they have \u2018been there for years\u2019.
\nBut we don\u2019t like change either \u2013 oh no, especially us heritage
\npeople. So we have had situations where the heaviest tool or most
\ncumbersome parts are in the most inconvenient locations just because
\nJoe Bloggs put them there in 1972, and they haven\u2019t moved since.
\nHere are my \u2018rules\u2019 \u2013 if its used a lot, put it in the most
\naccessible place you can (within reason of course). If it\u2019s not
\nused much at all \u2013 put it in a place that is away from the
\nmost-used and most accessible stuff. Or how about this \u2013 \u201cwhy is
\nit even there at all?\u201d. I have moved stuff around that has inches
\nof dust on it, because it has sat there for years and never been
\nused. I use that inch of dust, as evidence, in response to the
\nquestion \u201cWhy are you moving that?\u201d. People don\u2019t like it much
\nwhen things get re-organised and moved around \u2013 we fear change! But
\ngive it a month and they\u2019ll be used to the new habit of where stuff
\nis and they won\u2019t even remember what it used to be like.\n<\/p>\n
The key thing is \u201cOverall<\/i>, is
\nit an improvement?\u201d. If the answer is yes, then it should be done.
\nThe main reason I \u2018move things around\u2019 is because I want to
\nimprove the ease of access to things \u2013 as I keep saying, none of us
\nare getting any younger and some stuff needs to be re-organised so we
\ndon\u2019t wake up with aching backs in the morning! Bottom shelves and
\ntop shelves should be for \u2018less-used\u2019 stuff \u2013 middle shelves
\nand easy to reach shelves should be for the most-used stuff.\n<\/p>\n
It is, of course, always worth
\nevaluating how changing something is \u2018working out\u2019 \u2013 is it more
\nof a pain than it was before? There are plenty of things I\u2019ve
\nchanged that I\u2019ve ended up changing back \u2013 but I had to see if it
\nwas a better solution. Try it and seek forgiveness \u2013 in a lot of
\ncases it will<\/i> be an improvement.<\/p>\n
\n
A waste of space<\/b><\/p>\n
When we put shelves and racking
\ntogether, we often don\u2019t think about what we are going to put on it
\nand how much space it needs. Have a look at your shelving and racking
\n\u2013 look at the stuff that\u2019s on one shelf, and then have a look
\nabove that stuff and see how much space there is between that stuff
\nand the next shelf up. I\u2019ll bet there\u2019s lots of space \u2013 and
\nthat\u2019s just a waste of useable storage! If there is space, fill it
\nwith another shelf. We always complain there is never enough space
\nfor our stuff, but we rarely look at how efficiently (or not) we use
\nthe space we have \u2013 and a lot of the time we don\u2019t use it very
\nefficiently at all.<\/p>\n
\n
<\/a><\/div>\n WASTED SPACE (in red):
\nRegularly review how efficiently you are using storage \u2018space\u2019.<\/b><\/p>\n
\n
Keep worktops, workbenches and work
\nsurfaces clean and clear.<\/b><\/p>\n
How do you stop someone getting on with
\ntheir work? Make sure you fill up all the worktops, workbenches and
\nwork surfaces with stuff so they don\u2019t have a space to do their
\njob! We have a number of workbenches of all varieties spread out
\nacross the Works. We also have various A-frames and folding sawhorses
\nthat are handy temporary \u2018worktops\u2019 for certain jobs. You\u2019d
\nthink with all these work surfaces that there is plenty of surfaces
\non which to work \u2013 not so! Sometimes people leave tasks on worktops
\nas \u2018work in progress\u2019, which means that worktop is out of action.
\nOthers are just covered in stuff that hasn\u2019t been put away. Others
\nare filthy and need cleaning before something can be done. So I do my
\nbest to keep worktops clean and clear \u2013 sometimes we only need a
\nbit of a worktop to do something with a small part, so every little
\nhelps. We now even have a couple of little fold-away tables just for
\nresting a box on, when we are looking for parts or sorting things
\nout. So here\u2019s a tip \u2013 if you want to annoy people and stop them
\nfrom doing their job, just cover the worktops in stuff and walk away.
\nFor the sake of a quick tidy or even just moving stuff to the back of
\nthe worktop, you\u2019ll help others get their jobs done.<\/p>\n
\n
<\/a><\/div>\n<\/p>\nKEEP WORK SURFACES
\nCLEAR: every bit of worktop can help people do their jobs more
\neasily.<\/b><\/p>\n
\n
Pipes<\/b><\/p>\n
No, this isn\u2019t about retro smoking.
\nIn C&W we have a lot of long thin items such as metal or wood
\ntrim. Sensibly, these are often kept altogether but it\u2019s a real
\nfaff to work out which bit of trim with the right profile is needed.
\nPlus the pile just falls about everywhere as soon as you try to get
\nsomething. So one way to organise these is with simple plastic pipes
\n\u2013 like sink drainpipes or domestic toilet waste pipes. These are
\ncheap, plentiful and often just sit around the Works. They can be cut
\ndown appropriately and stacked or glued together so each pipe can
\ncontain a different profile of trim. We\u2019ve now done this in our new
\n\u2018Window Restoration Area\u2019 and it helps to identify and access the
\ncorrect trim really easily. I will be doing the same in our wood trim
\nstores and metal trim stores in the near future. By the way, I
\nsuggest using clean and\/or new pipes though (especially toilet pipes)
\nfor obvious reasons.<\/p>\n
\n
<\/a><\/div>\n Pipes are great for
\nkeeping long thin items in groups<\/b>\n<\/p>\n
\n
Why I don\u2019t like cardboard boxes:<\/b><\/p>\n
How can you hate cardboard boxes? Well,
\nour storage wagons are in the sidings and, as part of our
\nenvironmental policy, we encourage little creatures to roam free
\naround this semi-rural environment. Mice, birds and other critters
\nlike a nice warm home just like the rest of us and cardboard boxes
\nare just the ticket. Put a cardboard box in one of our wagons, and
\nyou can bet your bottom dollar that in the space of a month it will
\nbecome the new home of a furry mammal \u2013 unless the wagon is
\nhermetically sealed (I am yet to see such a miracle). So this is not
\nideal for spares storage (and the smell and droppings are not ideal
\nfor yours truly either). Plastic or metal boxes are nowhere near as
\nwarm, soft, or edible for creatures\u2019 bedding \u2013 so I do my best to
\nuse these in the wagons instead. So do yourselves a favour and ensure
\nyou only keep stuff in cardboard boxes inside<\/i> your Works, and
\nideally try to minimise those too because most Works are not
\nhermetically sealed either. Clear plastic boxes (if they can cope
\nwith the weight\/size of the items) are best, because you can see what
\nis in them. And in the Works, ideally try to make sure boxes have
\nlids, because everything (I mean EVERYTHING) gets covered in dust
\nwithin hours. However, the problem with lids, of course, is that you
\ncan\u2019t just grab something and go. And some lids just end up getting
\ntossed about because they\u2019re annoying when accessing something. So
\nsome regularly used things don\u2019t have lids for easier access, but
\nthings then get covered in dust \u2013 life is cruel.<\/p>\n
\n
Using colours and shapes to help
\npeople find stuff:<\/b><\/p>\n
Many a C&W volunteer has spent far
\ntoo long scrabbling around a tool chest trying to find the
\ncorrect-sized spanner. Each drawer in our tool chest has a lot of
\nspanners in them, and they are not from one nice \u2018set\u2019 all laid
\nout perfectly in little foam template things. At home, you can sort
\nyour spanners out and they can stay tidy because you are the only one
\nthat will mess about with them. In a communal setting like the C&W
\nWorks, \u2018control\u2019 over tidiness is nigh on impossible at times. I
\ndon\u2019t blame volunteers for not being tidy \u2013 their priorities are
\nabout getting the job done so that our coaches and wagons can
\ncontinue in operation. So this is where I come in, regularly tidying
\nup stuff so that there is an on-going semblance of organisation. It
\nis frustrating that in a week\u2019s time it will be a bit messy again,
\nbut it doesn\u2019t take long to do a quick tidy and everything is nice
\nand ready for the week ahead. With this in mind, anything that can
\nmake the tidying process \u2018easier\u2019 obviously helps me. So I\u2019ve
\ndone some stuff around that \u2013 for example \u2018colour coding\u2019 and
\n\u2018shapes\u2019.<\/p>\n
Take screws for example \u2013 we have a
\nbig rotating cabinet where we can keep lots of screws. So we\u2019ve
\ncolour-coded the little drawers. For slotted screws the labels are
\nall white. For Phillips \/ Pozi screws the labels are all luminous
\ngreen. For brass screws a nice bright orange. And for other
\nnick-nacks of hardware, a blue label. This was the most mind-numbing
\n******* job I have ever done in my life \u2013 but once it was done,
\nthat was it \u2013 and things are a lot easier to find now, for
\neveryone. And its relatively easy to keep tidy. <\/p>\n
\n
<\/a><\/div>\n COLOUR CODING: different
\ncoloured labels for different screw types on the rotating cabinet<\/b><\/p>\n
\n
Regarding \u2018errant\u2019 screws that are
\njust sitting around the works or are all mixed up into different
\nsizes and types \u2013 I aim to keep just one box of miscellaneous
\nscrews for odd jobs and chuck the rest in the metal recycling (unless
\nthey are organised, brand new, rare or expensive). Yes, I could<\/i>
\ngo around the Works picking up hundreds of unused individual screws
\nand putting them back in the right place \u2013 but I have a life, so I
\ndon\u2019t. They get recycled. Some people may say this is a waste \u2013
\nthey can always volunteer to do the \u2018picking up\u2019 job if they want
\nto \u2013 speaking from experience, I\u2019ll give them an hour before they
\nagree with my policy.<\/p>\n
Another thing I have done is marking up
\ndifferent sizes and types of spanners with different colours and
\nshapes, so that similar types of spanners can be easily spotted and
\nput in the right drawer, or the right part of the drawer. Again, my
\nold friend \u2018tape\u2019 is useful here \u2013 I have used very sticky blue
\ninsulation tape on Metric spanners and I intend to use red insulation
\ntape on Imperial spanners. I also put half a \u2018width\u2019 of tape on
\nthe very smallest spanners, one \u2018width\u2019 of tape for bigger, two
\n\u2018widths\u2019 of tape for larger spanners and so on. This works well
\nwith Metric \u2013 two bits of tape for 20mm to 24mm spanners, two and a
\nhalf bits of tape for 25mm to 29mm, for example. This is not so easy
\nwith Imperial, but I\u2019m still trying to work that one out. But the
\ngeneral idea certainly helps to spot a naughty Metric spanner getting
\nclose and personal with Imperial spanners in the wrong drawer. And
\nwithin a drawer it doesn\u2019t take long to sort out smaller spanners
\nto one side and larger ones to the other side, using the numbers of
\n\u2018widths\u2019 of tape as a guide. I\u2019ve also painted the sizings
\nstamped on the spanners with a paint pen so our failing eyesight gets
\na bit of help. I haven\u2019t seen people scrabbling around in the
\nspanner drawer so much since I did this, so I assume its helping.<\/p>\n
\n
<\/a><\/div>\n<\/p>\n\nSHAPES: can help narrow down identification of specific items amongst
\nmany<\/b><\/div>\n
\n
I may start doing a similar thing with
\nwrench sockets, but it\u2019s pretty fiddly so that\u2019s on the \u2018long
\nlist\u2019 at the moment. However, for sockets (our MANY sockets) I\u2019ve
\nmade lots of little boxes for each type \/ size and labelled these \u2013
\nagain, they are not always put back perfectly but it doesn\u2019t take
\ntoo long to find the errant ones. And colour coding and shapes will
\nhelp this further when I get around to it.<\/p>\n
\n
Cling film<\/b><\/p>\n
No, this isn\u2019t about food storage.
\nAnybody who works in a Works (ho ho) will probably know that dust is
\na constant pain in the backside. It gets everywhere, even when we
\ndon\u2019t seem to have made any. So anything that is easily accessible
\non an open shelf in the Works just gets covered in dust. This might
\nbe a minor annoyance when getting a spare grab handle \u2013 you just
\nget a cloth and dust it off. But for parts like a door slider it will
\ntotally knacker up the part. And dust on new upholstery is a damn
\nshame. So a while ago I started wrapping decent stuff that needs
\nprotecting with industrial size cling film. Is it a pain to wrap a
\nbig seat with it? Yes! Does it work? Yes! Will it prevent an even
\nmore painful job cleaning it? Yes! Cling film is the way \u2013 very
\nuseful and pretty cheap. Just have some masking tape to hand (I love
\nmasking tape) to stick over tears in the film when wrapping (which is
\ninevitable). No more dusty parts!<\/p>\n
\n
<\/a><\/div>\n<\/p>\n\nCLING FILM: A bit of a faff, but worth it!<\/b><\/div>\n
\n
Look after the things that look
\nafter you.<\/b><\/p>\n
I (try to) look after our non-technical
\nequipment too, such as our trolleys and vacuum cleaners, which are
\nvital for re-organising and keeping things dust-free. Trolleys are
\nalso vital to avoid carrying really heavy and cumbersome stuff \u2013
\nremember I mentioned our age? Our trolleys and vacuum cleaners have a
\nhard life (though they are inanimate objects, so don\u2019t worry). But
\nlugging a heavy door around lumpy ground in the sidings with a flat
\ntrolley tyre is not the way I want to spend my Saturday afternoons
\n(still, never mind). So I do my best to keep them from getting too
\ntired \u2013 as with everything, a bit of WD-40 can work wonders. Can
\nsomeone invent a \u2018WD-40\u2019 for my knees? <\/p>\n
\n
<\/a><\/div>\n<\/p>\n\nprestigious fleet<\/b><\/div>\n
\n
Convincing others to get on board. <\/b>\n<\/p>\n
As mentioned, \u201cIn a communal setting
\nlike the C&W Works, \u2018control\u2019 over tidiness is nigh on
\nimpossible at times\u201d. After reading this article, you may think
\nthat I am a \u2018tidying evangelist\u2019 \u2013 I am \u2013 but I don\u2019t
\nexpect others to be. I focus on what I enjoy doing and my volunteer
\ncolleagues focus on what they enjoy doing, and what needs to be done
\nto keep our vehicles rolling. Some are tidier than others (that\u2019s
\nbeing diplomatic), and there will always be a few people who just do
\nit their way (that\u2019s slightly less diplomatic).\n<\/p>\n
But I find that convincing others to
\ntry to keep things organised is about proving to them that it will
\nmake life easier<\/i> for them after the teething problems of the
\nimmediate \u2018change\u2019 are dealt with. To get people on board I try
\nto observe and\/or listen to the challenges and problems they have
\nwhen carrying out their tasks. This can be easy \u2013 listen out for
\nswearing! Or listen out for: \u201cWhere has that X gone?\u201d; \u201cWhat
\nhas happened to X?\u201d; \u201cI\u2019ve been walking around this bloody
\nplace for half an hour and I still can\u2019t find X!\u201d. You get the
\nidea.\n<\/p>\n
I can\u2019t solve everyone\u2019s problems,
\nbut many tasks and processes can be made a heck of a lot easier with
\nbetter organisation, as long as any \u2018solution\u2019 is agreed and
\ncommunicated with others. It\u2019s a lifelong project, but all you have
\nto do is look back at \u2018how things were\u2019 a few years ago and how
\nthings are now, and how much things have improved \u2013 it\u2019s easy to
\nforget how far we have come.<\/p>\n
\n